The proposed merging of residential zones was discussed extensively at the April 7 BOA meeting on the new zoning. The planning department’s pitch is based on a particular framing of the development issues that face…

The disappointment in the room was tangible last Wednesday night. Greg Karczewski, president of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority’s chosen Master Developer Partner US2, had just told Somerville residents that his firm intended to build 525…

The Somerville Ethics Commission is charged with making sure that, with so many new development projects on top of ongoing maintenance, there are no conflicts of interest in Somerville city government. More…

The material is technical, but shows the continuing difference in size between the residential tax base and the commercial tax base in Somerville. The residential tax base is a much higher percentage of the total tax base than the commercial tax base is. The larger the commercial tax base, the less burden there is on residents. More…

The Community Preservation Committee manages projects paid for by the Community Preservation Act tax surcharge. Agenda includes bonding for CPA projects and eligibility of project proposals submitted during September 2014. More…

The Wynn casino project in Everett can improve the tax base of Everett, but the planned 400 foot building will have substantial impact on Somerville traffic and cause glare across the river both day and night. More…

Agenda includes approval of Partners Healthcare site and building design, which erases four city blocks with a suburban industrial campus, and an amendment to Section 7.13.A to require a special permit for ground floor office uses in corridor commerical and transit oriented district. Please come and make your views known. More…

Agenda includes discussing a proposed revision to SomerVision plan affordable housing goals, and a motion requesting SPCD to provide SomerVision updates twice a year showing progress in residential, affordable units, jobs, development in transformative areas, and other goals. More…

The Somerville Planning Board and the BOA Land Use Committee are holding a joint hearing on an amendment to Section 5.2.5 of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance to require the following special permit findings: a) to avoid creating adverse impacts on the stock of existing affordable housing, and, b) to ensure compliance with the objectives of the SomerVision plan.

It is is everyone’s interest to see to it that affordable housing is maintained and the SomerVisionPlan is advanced. Come and speak your mind. More…

The SRA selects the Master Developer for Union Square. It is important to know what questions it chooses to ask. Besides technical qualifications, the proposed approach to be taken by each Master Developer is important to the residents of Union Square, who will be affected by the changes, both positively and negatively. More…

3/8/14, 3/9/14 Assembly Row Job Fair Sat. Mar 8 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sun. Mar. 9 2:00 – 7:00 PM East Somerville Community School Cafeteria 50 Cross Street Somerville MA (map) This is the second of two Assembly Row Job Fairs, featujring some of the 30 retailers and restaurants opening at Assembly Row. If you are a resident of Somerville or surrounding communities and wish to work at Assembly Row, come to the Job Fair. The first Job Fair, Mar. 1 and 2, was exclusively for residents of Somerville. For more information, see Assembly More…

The CAC recommends a Master Developer for Union Square to the Somerville Redevelopment Authority. It is important to know what questions it chooses to ask. Besides technical qualifications, the proposed approach to be taken by each Master Developer is important to the residents of Union Square, who will be affected by the changes, both positively and negatively. More…

This is a special meeting of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority, called to replace the 2/20/14 meeting, which could not be held because the meeting was noticed only on the cork board at City Hall and not on the City web site, as required by the new Open Meeting law. Agenda includes an update on the Everett casino and and update on Union Square. Special meetings are scheduled 3/4/14, 3/5/14, 3/6/14 to hear presentations from development firms. More…

The City will present an overview of the Union Square redevelopment issues, including the SomerVision comprehensive plan, the Union Square Revitalization Plan, and the Green Line extension. This meeting is open to the public. More…

Agenda likely includes an update on the Everett casino and possible presentations from one or more master developers for Union Square. There may need to be a special meeting to hear presentations from development firms. More…

The Somerville tax base is the most important source of city funds for maintaining the city streets, schools, and other facilities. It directly affects every resident and business and indirectly affects every tenant.

NOTE: The Jan. 21 session was rescheduled to Thu. Jan. 23 due to the snow emergency. More…

The Wynn casino project in Everett can improve the tax base of Everett, but the planned 400 foot building will have substantial impact on Somerville traffic and cause glare across the river both day and night. More…

City not getting cooperation from casino developer (WIN) and may have to apply itself for designation as affected community in 10 days after WIN files 12/31/13. Partners Healthcare is coming with 4500 jobs and 700K s.f. of office space. Aggressive schedule (2016). No R&D yet. City wants to look at rest of site (>60 acres). FRIT has gone live with a jobs web site with all the jobs in Assembly Row. They are being very cooperative. The City is contracting with a local agency for job training. City has an RFQ for a Master Developer for Union Square. Response is due Jan. 31, hope to decide by April 1. More…

I attended the first hour of last night’s Union Square revisioning meeting, a reach-out to the community for input on what we’d like to see Union Square ultimately look like as development and infrastructure upgrades proceed in 2014-2015. More…

Agenda includes a public hearing on a zoning change for Prospect Hill and Somerville Avenue; discussion of increasing the linkage fee for new developments; and discussion of the planning board recommendation for an oversized grocery store in Assembly Square at the IKEA site. More…

Assembly Square is transforming. The new Baxter State Park along the Mystic between Route 38 and Draw 7 Park has opened. The Orange Line T-Stop is framed in, and Federal Realty and Avalon Bay have walls up on mixed-use developments on the river side of the site. More…

The Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development is sponsoring a two-day intensive design charrette on the future of Davis Square. Participating in this design charrette is a way to influence how Davis Square develops and changes over the coming years. More…

Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) is holding a public hearing to receive feedback on the City’s performance in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, and the HOME program. The HUD block grants are a very important source of funding for affordable housing in Somerville, yet few people attend these hearings. More…

Agenda includes an ordinance amending the zoning map to place additional land in Union Square and on Prospect Hill into the CCD-55 Zoning District. The Planning Board holds public hearings, provides recommendations to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Aldermanic committees, and grants permits for special districts, such as Planned Unit Developments. More…

The Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development is holding two Visioning sessions on the future of East Somerville. More sessions will be held in September and October. Visioning sessions are an important means for Davis Square residents and other stakeholders to participate in the planning process. Come and make your views known. More…

The Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development is holding two Visioning sessions on the future of East Somerville. Visioning sessions are an important means for East Somerville residents and other stakeholders to participate in the planning process. Come and make your views known. More…

These are two scheduled meetings of the BOA Land Use Committee, one at 6 PM and another at 7 PM. Agenda at 6 PM includes discussing a zoning amendment to separate supermarkets from other retail in the zoning code, and another to add Medical Marijuana Treatment Facility to the table of land use categories. Agenda at 7 PM includes processing a zoning amendment, currently withdrawn, to permit a ground floor supermarket that exceeds the Ground Level Retail Size Cap in the Assembly Square Mixed-Use District. More…

Governor Patrick, Secretary Davey, Congressman Capuano, Mayor Curtatone, and other state and local elected officials are holding a kickoff ceremony for construction of Phase I of Green Line extension. The shovels are going into the ground. The Green Line Extension is really happening!